Land That Somebody Wanted

The Hoosier National Forest Lands team helps a family research their ancestor's ownership of land now owned by the government.

A 1977 Conservation Foundation Report stated, "The national forests of the east, in the main, were assembled from land that nobody wanted". However many years prior to the formation of the Hoosier National Forest, John Ploch wanted some of that land. He purchased 80 acres located in Tobin Township of Perry County, Indiana from George Porter in 1851.

One hundred fifty-seven years later two of his descendants, Shawn Brand and Bettina Schneider, while tracing their family genealogy, discovered an ancestor had owned land now a part of the Hoosier National Forest. They sent requests and a 1961 newspaper story to the Forest Service Washington Office and the Hoosier National Forest for any documents showing a land transfer from John Ploch to the US Forest Service in the German Ridge Recreation Area in Perry County. The newspaper story showed a photograph of the old Ploch home on German Ridge and history of the John Ploch families' immigration from Darmstadt, Germany in 1847 to Indiana byway of New York and Cincinnati. A search through the Forests' lands status atlas did not show a land purchase from John Ploch. However, a further search of the land acquisition microfiche records revealed the abstracts of title in the 1800's showing the Ploch and Plock names.

Meanwhile, members of the Forests' Lands team were discussing this request and the Ploch name. Their interests had been sparked and ideas were flowing. The topographic map covering the area showed Plock Knob one-half mile north of the German Ridge Recreation Area. Typically names of many features on the map come from prior landowners. A look at an 1880 county survey plat of that section revealed John Ploch to be a landowner in that section. Adjacent to his property is an old church and German Ridge Cemetery. A discussion with Forest Archeologist, Angier Krieger, produced several pages of headstone readings from the cemetery. Many of them were in German. Eight headstones had the Ploch name on them including John Ploch.

This information including copies of 1937 aerial photographs of German Ridge were sent to Shawn and Bettina. "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you…It will be a thrill for so many. John and Katrine had 15 children…you can imagine the huge number of descendents." was the reply Shawn and Bettina emailed to the Forest after receiving the information.

As a result of knowing the Forests' records and how the information might be helpful, the Hoosier National Forest was able to provide a unique public service.

Thanks go to the Forests' Lands team: Ross Taylor, Kelly Weigel, Ted Senior, Jackie Contreras and Bob Stone.